A&E service in Ennis to be retained, says Martin

Twenty-four hour A&E services at Ennis General Hospital are to be retained despite recommendations from the Hanly report that the service be downgraded.

This follows a commitment given by the Minister for Health and Children, Mr Martin, in Ennis yesterday.

Mr Martin said the Mid-Western Health Board told him they are in a position to ensure the continuation of 24-hour A&E medical cover at Ennis General Hospital.

Last November 15,000 people marched in the town to protest at the Hanly report's recommendations for the hospital.

Asked what medical cover means, Mr Martin - accompanied by Fianna Fáil local election candidates - replied: "Doctors on site."

The Minister yesterday met the Ennis Hospital Development Group which has been campaigning for the retention of A&E services over the past six months.

Speaking after the meeting, a spokesman for the group, Cllr Joe Arkins (FG), said: "The A&E service at Ennis General has been granted a reprieve by Minister Martin and he is conceding the need for such a service for the people of Clare.

"It is doubtful that the Minister would have made such a decision were it not for the 15,000 people that marched in Ennis last year and displayed the depth of feeling on the issue."

However, Cllr Arkins believes that the reprieve for the A&E is short-term as the implementation of the Hanly report has yet to take place.

"Last month, Mr David Hanly was in west Clare to say that in two years' time, when the emergency ambulance staff are fully trained and services at Limerick have been expanded, the A&E at Ennis will be reduced to a nurse-led minor injury unit."

Mr Martin denied that the continued provision of 24-hour medical cover at the hospital undermines the recommendations of the Hanly report.

He said: "Hanly is flexible and if the regional groups can come with proposals that say we can organise 24-hour A&E services, the issue then is you have to devise methodology of doing that within the 48 hour working week which is coming through in 2009."

Mr Martin said the greatest manifestation of his commitment to Ennis is the recent appointment of a design team that will result in a €20 million upgrade of the hospital.